Electric device for indicating the awakening of persons buried alive.



No. 652,934. Patented July 3,1900.

w. McKNIGHT.

ELECTRIC DEVICE FOR INDICATINGTI-IE AWAKENING OF PERSONS BURIED ALIVE.

(Application filed May 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses.

X E By i Attorney.

UN TED STATES WALTER J. MOKNIGHT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE AWAKENlNG OF PERSONS BURIED ALIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,934, dated July 3, 1900. Application filed'May 20,1899. Serial No. 717,556. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER J. MOKNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric De'vices for Indicating the Awakening of Persons Buried Alive, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electrically-operated device adapted to be connected to coffins for attracting attention to and indicating the awakening of persons buried alive.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The invention is susceptible to various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation through the center of a rough box and casket placed under the ground, also illustrating a front elevation of my improved indicating device located above the ground, the front ofthe frame being removed to expose the interior construction. Fig. 2 is an "enlarged side elevation of the circuit-closer. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the circuit-closer, showing the pipe inserted in the opening in the side of the casket. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section on or about line a a, Fig. 1.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction like numerals designate like parts. I

Myimproved indicating device consists of a house or box-like structure 1, which is adapted to be placed upon the ground over the grave, an electrical alarm device 2, preferably attached to the exterior of said structure, a cell 3, supported within the structure, and a signal 4, arranged within the structure and adapted to be operated by the closing of the circuit.

The structure 1 is connected to the casket 5 in the ground beneath by a tube or pipe 6, the upper end of which extends into the opening 7 in the bottom of the structure 1, and

the lower end bends at an angle and extends through the side of the rough box 8 and casket 5. The front 9 of the box-like structure 1 is preferably removable to permit access to the interior to set or repair the mechanism and is provided with a transparent portion or window 10, through which the signal 4 is adapted to be displayed. A magnetic coil 11 is mounted within the box, and an armature 12 is pivotally suspended from a support or rod 13, extending over the magnetic coil 11. The lower portion of the armature is provided with an extension or hook portion 14, and a signal-supporting frame 15, which is pivoted at its rear end to an extension 16, projecting from the interior of the box, has a cross-bar- 17, which is adapted to catch over the hooked end of the armature to retain the support 15 and its signal in an elevated unseen position. A shaft 18 is mounted in the case and extends horizontally above the cell, and a metallic plate 19 is supported upon said shaft, having a vertically-extending portion 20. The office of this plat-e is to return the signal and its supporting-frame to their former elevated position after they have been dropped and also to serve to complete the electric circuit to operate the alarm device.

The connecting-wires (designated by the numerals 21 and 22 to distinguish them) extend from the cell to the circuit-closing devices in the casket, passing through the tube or pipe 6. These circuit-closing devices are preferably in the form of arms 23 and 24, which extend from opposite sides of the casket above the supposed corpse and which when brought into contact complete the circuit and operate the alarm and signal. I also preferably attach an angular wire 25 to one of these arms and bend and extend it into close proximity to the breast of the supposed corpse, so that the elevation of the chest by breathing will force the Wire upward and into contact with the other arm to close the circuit and operate the alarm and signal; (See Fig. 2.) The connecting-wire 21 extends directly from the cell 3 to the arm 23, and the wire 22 extends from the cell 3 to the alarm 2, thence into connection with the magnetic coil, and from there to the arm 24.

A receptacle 26, filled with any suitable germicide, is preferably placed within the box 1 directly over the opening 7 as a precautionary sanitary measure.

Air is admitted to the casket by means of the tube or pipe 6, the box 1 being provided with openings n7 for the air circulation,which are preferably covered by wire screens 28.

The assembling and operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description and drawings, the awakening or moving of the supposed corpse closing the circuit, thereby dropping the signal in front of the window and operating the alarm.

I claim as my invention An electric device for indicating the awakening of persons buried alive, comprising a casket, two arms arranged above the sup- WALTER J. MOKNIGHT.

Witnesses:

L. M. BILLINGS, A. J. SANGSTER. 

